Anaïs Amdrup-Chamby and her son Maxime at home, in their kitchen, where Anaïs spends a good amount of time cooking. Food has always been on her mind, but even more so now as a mother of two small children. We ask Anaïs to share her thoughts about healthy, nutritious food and how to get the kids involved in the kitchen.
How did you get into cooking in the first place?
“I have always been a foodie, but my passion for cooking started in my early twenties and has developed ever since, especially after living in California and having access to local, organic and often heirloom produce throughout the year.
Right now I spend a lot of time cooking for my family, including my two kids Lilou, age 2,5 and Maxime, who is 10 months. I think it is so much fun to cook for them and create nutritious meals that we can eat together as a family. I often
post pictures of the produce I use, and the meals I make, in case anyone’s looking to find some inspiration”.
How do you teach your kids about food and cooking?
“Food is such a big part of our family that the kids inevitably are a part of it. My husband and I often talk about food, how we get a balanced ratio of micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals, how we prepare certain foods, etc. I believe our joy of food rubs off on the kids – our daughter Lilou certainly seems to be very interested in food, and talks about it almost from the minute she gets up in the morning.”
What are your favourite recipes to cook with and for your children?
“Anything where Lilou can help me cook, and taste the food while we cook it. I give her small assignments such as cleaning and prepping the ingredients or mix them with her hands. Anything to include her. She also loves being a part of it – but sometimes it helps to give her a little bowl of dried fruits and nuts that she can eat while we cook”.
How do you get children used to try new things?
“I really believe that if you introduce a variety of ingredients to your children from the beginning and use a lot of different spices, there is a higher chance that your children won’t become picky and afraid of trying new ingredients. They will become used to the different tastes, colors and textures. Studies also show that there is a higher chance that your kids won't develop allergies, so we just tried all sorts of things from the start.
When both my children started to eat solid foods, I introduced different spices such as turmeric, ginger, cumin, and coriander seeds. I also added seaweed, bone broth, spirulina, and many different kinds of oils to their purees and porridges. Even though I’m not an expert, I believe that all this has contributed to why my kids love food and eat almost anything. Lilou, especially, loves to try new things, and eats and drinks everything from vegetables to fish to all sorts of spices to green juices.
They both eat their greens everyday and drink a green juice or smoothie – I always sneak in vegetables in their smoothies and add a bright berries such as frozen strawberries. On days, where they don’t want to eat greens, I make vegetable banana pancakes with extra berries to blur the veggies down a bit.
Here is my Green Smoothie and Banana Pancake recipe – enjoy!
Green Smoothie
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1 handful of spinach
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1 handful of other greens, such as kale or broccoli
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1 spoon pea protein powder from Puori
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1 banana
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1 spoon almond butter or peanut butter
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1 handful frozen berries
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200 ml coconut water or almond milk
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50 ml bone broth
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Ice cubes
Add everything to the blender, mix and serve immediately while cold. Tip: Add more coconut water or almond milk if the smoothie is too thick and blend again.
Banana Pancakes with Spinach
Mix all ingredients in a blender. Cook on a hot pan with a bit of coconut oil, and serve with blueberries and/or coconut flakes and almond butter/peanut butter. Tip: These pancakes turn out green because of the spinach. If the color keeps your kids from eating them, simply add blueberries to the mix (fresh or frozen), and they turn out purple.
Do you also have kids at home, wanting to help and participate in the kitchen? Here you’ll find our edit of beautiful high chairs, dinnerware in wonderful colors, as well as the practical reusable smoothie bags, that work perfectly for that Green Smoothie on the go.
Do you have questions or need help? We’re happy to help and you can contact us here.
Thank you Anaïs Amdrup-Chamby!
